Ricky Ma’s $50,000 Mark 1 has a 3D printed skeleton wrapped in a silicone skin and can respond to verbal interaction. (All images and video via Ricky Ma)
For anyone who’s ever dreamt of dating a movie star but never had the chance, that dream may finally come true, albeit if you have a lot of spare time on your hands, an extra $50,000 and have a love of robots. At least that’s what one clever Hong Kong inventor was able to achieve with his time and money when he built his Mark 1 robot that looks eerily similar to Scarlett Johansson.
The Mark 1 body is 70% 3D printed including the robot’s skeleton, which was modeled after humans.
Like most kids, Ricky was inspired to build his robot after watching cartoons and finally realized his dreams 42 years later stating that if he realized his dream, he would have no regrets in life. While the Mark 1 may appear creepy, it’s no less astounding when you consider that he had to teach himself every discipline needed to build it, including electromechanics and programming.
The actual robot construction took place over a year and a half on his balcony and took the trial and error approach, which resulted in many burned-out motors and balance issues that resulted in the robot toppling over on many occasions.
The end-result is no less than impressive and features a 3D printed skeleton with numerous servomotors that not only allow the robot to move and gesticulate wildly but also provides detailed facial expressions, including the ability to wink and smile. This is made all the more real thanks to a silicone skin that covers the body, which also appears to be anatomically correct.
The robot is also capable of responding to verbal commands and phrases, albeit on a limited scale and it’s not yet known whether those responses are pre-programmed or a simplistic form of AI, chances are it’s the former considering Marky is an amateur programmer. Ma, who feels the importance of robotics will continue to grow, is currently considering writing a book about his robot build and is looking for investors to help him with his next creation.
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